We Need to Protect Ourselves: The Mental Burden of Managing Type 2 Diabetes among Black men During the COVID19 Pandemic

Abstract As COVID-19 swept across the United States in 2020, it appeared to infect and kill Black Americans at a disproportionately high rate. When examining the literature pertaining to the pandemic, present COVID-19 research focuses on physical health, but research regarding mental health and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking, especially among Black men and minority men in general. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to learn more about the type 2 diabetes (T2D) management related stress among Black men (n=22) during the COVID-19 pandemic. One on one interviews were conducted via Zoom video conferencing to gain an understanding of the experiences of managing T2D in a pandemic environment. Three main themes emerged from the study, which are: (1) my stress levels during this time, (2) diabetes specific stressors, and (3) coping mechanisms. Black men with diabetes may need psychosocial support that holistically addresses general developmental and diabetes-specific stressors and their influences on one another. Recognizing how Black men react to stress is essential for understanding and addressing their disproportionally high prevalence of stress related to management of chronic conditions and avoiding additional complications, morbidity or mortality. It is imperative to examine how stress and coping frameworks relate to men’s health, in general, but specifically in Black men.

the pandemic. We initiated a weekly pulse survey, based on the two same questions, starting in week 13 of 2020. Across the 50 weeks which followed, we received 2577 responses. They rated their mood on a scale of 1 (extra-stormy) to 5 (all sunshine), before we collated the data and mapped on key events related to media announcements and political decisions. Our research showed the impact of these events on the mood of participants, and the potential of this approach to identify trends in mood to help policy makers with informed decision-making during unprecedented times.

TYPE 2 DIABETES MANAGEMENT AMONG OLDER BLACK AMERICAN MEN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION
Ledric Sherman, 1 DeLawnia Comer-HaGans, 2 and Sara Vera, 1 , 1. Texas A&M University,College Station,Texas,United States,2. Texas Department of State Health Services,Austin,Texas,United States As COVID-19 swept across the globe in 2020, it appeared to have infected and killed Black Americans at a disproportionately higher rate. However, few studies have focused specifically on the complications of managing diabetes, expressly type 2 diabetes (T2D), among Black men during the global pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to seek understanding of the experiences in managing T2D among Black men during the COVID-19 pandemic. One on one interviews were conducted via Zoom video conferencing with twenty-two (n=22) Black men regarding their experience of managing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a pandemic environment. Four main themes emerged from the study, which are: (1) stress levels during the pandemic, (2) barriers to managing my diabetes, (3) who/what is helping the most, and (4) communication with health-care provider. As more information becomes available, it is apparent that having diabetes increases the risk for detrimental COVID-19 outcomes (i.e. increased lengths of hospital stays, the need for mechanical ventilation, and mortality. Future research efforts are crucially needed to provide an improved understanding of how individuals across all racial groups are managing diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 swept across the United States in 2020, it appeared to infect and kill Black Americans at a disproportionately high rate. When examining the literature pertaining to the pandemic, present COVID-19 research focuses on physical health, but research regarding mental health and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking, especially among Black men and minority men in general. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to learn more about the type 2 diabetes (T2D) management related stress among Black men (n=22) during the COVID-19 pandemic. One on one interviews were conducted via Zoom video conferencing to gain an understanding of the experiences of managing T2D in a pandemic environment. Three main themes emerged from the study, which are: (1) my stress levels during this time, (2) diabetes specific stressors, and (3) coping mechanisms. Black men with diabetes may need psychosocial support that holistically addresses general developmental and diabetes-specific stressors and their influences on one another. Recognizing how Black men react to stress is essential for understanding and addressing their disproportionally high prevalence of stress related to management of chronic conditions and avoiding additional complications, morbidity or mortality. It is imperative to examine how stress and coping frameworks relate to men's health, in general, but specifically in Black men.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND EDUCATION A REMOTE MUSIC-BASED SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECT TO SUPPORT ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS IN LONG-TERM CARE Emma King, and Alaine Reschke-Hernandez, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Growth of the aging population warrants a commitment to teaching students to work effectively with older adults.
In an online university course focused on inclusive music practices, students engaged in an extensive service-learning project to enhance course learning objectives and increase sensitivity to disability, social justice, and inclusion issues across the lifespan. Based on community needs, one student aimed to reduce isolation among older adults living in a long-term care facility. The student selected this target and population because of the detrimental effects of isolation on psychosocial, cognitive, and physical well-being; and reduced access to interactive programs and services among older adults living in residential facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Components of the project included a service-learning proposal, an annotated bibliography, an interview with the community partner, three activity designs, and a reflective essay. Based on existing research regarding interventions used to reduce isolation among older adults, the three activities the student designed were music bingo, interactive singing, and stretches to music. Throughout the service-learning process, the student consulted the community partner to ensure relevance of the activities. Principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), such as providing multiple visual and auditory means to engage with materials, enhanced accessibility of the activities. In this presentation, the student and course instructor will reflect on this case experience and the value of service-learning to foster professional skill development, engaged citizenship in working effectively with older adults, and an appreciation of the need for justice, equity, and fairness for all community members.

ASSESSING NEEDS, WELL-BEING, AND TELEHEALTH ACCESS OF OLDER ADULTS WITH LIMITED RESOURCES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Sashah Damier, 1 Assma Twahir, 2 Sweta Tewary, 3 Naushira Pandya, 2 and Nicole Cook, 2 , 1. NSU,Davie,FL,Florida,United States,2. NSU,Davie,Florida,United States,3. Nova Southeastern University,Fort Lauderdale,Florida,United States The COVID-19 pandemic created new barriers and challenges to accessing primary care services, particularly among older adults who already faced barriers related to access to care, including transportation, health literacy, and self-management support. Nova Southeastern University South Florida Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (NSU SFGWEP) partnered with primary care clinics to conduct wellness calls to older adult patients identified through clinic EHR. The wellness calls' objectives were to 1) discuss COVID-19 protective measures; 2) assess wellness needs and access to care barriers; and 3) screen for telehealth support. From September 2020 to February 2021, the team (including medical students, public health students, and SFGWEP staff) contacted 200 patients via telephone and conducted a comprehensive wellness survey developed by the study team, informed by validated surveys. Among the 200 patients called, 60% (n=34) were very concerned about the Covid-19 pandemic, 33% (n=34) reported often feeling isolated from others, and 20% (n=34) expressed difficulty getting medical care. A smaller subset of patients reported concern about limited COVID-19 testing (n=1), lack of knowledge about seeing their provider via telehealth (n=7), lack of face masks (n=1), and challenges with obtaining medication refills (n=1). Following wellness calls, the NSU SFGWEP team provided education, referred to clinical resources, and, for low-income patients with access to care challenges, provided Samsung Tablets (n=50) with peer training to enable telehealth. During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities have changed to an online or hybrid format. These changes provide the opportunity for universities to be more accessible for all individuals. However, the logistics of university life during a pandemic has exposed significant and potentially enduring challenges and opportunities for designing and maintaining an Age-Friendly University. This study investigates perceptions of students, faculty, and staff in the lens of an age friendly university during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study draws on qualitative and quantitative data from over 10,000 faculty, staff, students, and life-long learners from 26 universities. Five items were asked to constituent groups about their perceptions on their university's response to COVID-19. Overall, students had the poorest average perception of satisfaction with their university's overall response to the pandemic, with 62% satisfied compared to 74% and 73% of faculty and staff, respectively. Further, 77% of faculty think the university's response to continuing education accommodated their needs, compared to 69% of students. Respondents from private universities reported more positive satisfaction than respondents from public universities (M=4.23, SD=0.94; t(df=7405)=6.805, p<.001). Qualitative data suggest that older students and faculty needed more